Houssam El Zein

Selected work, shown in full.

Institutional brand, marketing and communications work across higher education, banking and multilateral programs in Qatar and the GCC.

(16 case studies)
(4 sectors)
(All work)
Overhead still of Arabic calligraphy sketches during development of the CCQ identity
(Community College of Qatar · Brand Strategy)

Reframing access as ambition

How Community College of Qatar built a brand that reflected its growing academic role, national purpose and value to students.

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HBKU headquarters in Education City
(Hamad Bin Khalifa University · Brand Strategy)

Turning Independent Institutes into One University

How HBKU brought independent colleges and national research institutes together under one university brand, connecting postgraduate education, applied research and national priorities.

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HBKU College of Humanities and Social Sciences building
(Hamad Bin Khalifa University · Crisis Communications)

Learning Never Stops

How HBKU turned pandemic continuity into a visible communications system that kept its community informed, learning active and research expertise useful to Qatar.

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Interview still from the HBKU and edX partnership launch at HBKU
(Hamad Bin Khalifa University · Online Learning)

Opening Qatar’s Research Expertise to the World

How HBKU turned a regional-first edX partnership into a global learner-acquisition platform for research, professional education and institutional reach.

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Students on the HBKU campus
(Hamad Bin Khalifa University · Crisis & Reputation)

Building Crisis Readiness Into HBKU

How HBKU replaced fragmented crisis response with a practical operating framework for faster decisions, coordinated communications and stronger institutional trust.

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H.E. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at Hamad Bin Khalifa University
(Hamad Bin Khalifa University · Events & Advocacy)

High profile lectures and distinguished speakers

Marketing and communications for more than 100 high profile lectures, bringing globally significant and sensitive topics to a university audience.

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Qatar Biomedical Research Institute laboratory work
(Hamad Bin Khalifa University · Research Communications)

Building One Research Voice Across HBKU

How HBKU created one coherent research narrative without absorbing the distinct scientific identity and credibility of its three national research institutes.

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Researchers collaborating, used across the Arab Global Scholars campaign
(Hamad Bin Khalifa University · Research Community)

Building a Digital Home for the Arab Scientific Renaissance

How a historic network of Arab scholars became a credible platform for reconnecting global expertise with the region's research ambitions.

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Study at HBKU campus imagery
(Hamad Bin Khalifa University · Enrollment Marketing)

Building an Enrollment Engine for a New Research University

How HBKU built one university-wide enrollment system that could recruit for six colleges and more than 40 programs while strengthening the institutional brand.

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His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at the anniversary
(Hamad Bin Khalifa University · Institutional Milestone)

HBKU 10th anniversary

A milestone celebration in education and research, marking ten years of a homegrown institution built to develop Qatar's intellectual capacity.

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Commercial Bank of Qatar rebrand applied across the bank
(Commercial Bank of Qatar · Brand Transformation)

Repositioning Commercial Bank for a Digital Generation

How Qatar's first private-sector bank translated its entrepreneurial heritage into a modern brand built for digital growth and a new generation of customers.

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Commercial Bank ATM lobby with a backlit blue brand wall and a FlyMiles travel offer on screen
(Commercial Bank of Qatar · Communications Strategy)

Making Everything Is Possible Commercial

How Commercial Bank turned an aspirational brand promise into a customer-led platform connecting personal ambition with products, services and the full banking journey.

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Cbq website showcasing the Manchester United campaign
(Commercial Bank of Qatar · Partnership Campaign)

Manchester United credit card campaign

The launch campaign for the Commercial Bank of Qatar and Manchester United credit card, under a five year exclusive partnership with the club.

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Road map for a marketing communications plan
(Selected practice · Strategy)

Marketing communications strategy

A selected view of the strategy practice: translating organizational objectives into marketing communications output that decision-makers can act on.

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Doha Youth Forum 2015 poster
(Qatar Foundation and UNODC · Youth Participation)

Giving Youth a Seat at the UN Table

Turned youth participation from a symbolic presence at a UN congress into a formal contribution to global policy on crime prevention and criminal justice.

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Commercial Bank of Qatar internal communications channel design
(Commercial Bank of Qatar · Internal Communications)

Internal communications strategy

A strategic blueprint for employee engagement and organizational alignment at Commercial Bank of Qatar, built in the wake of global financial crises and the rise of digital banking.

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